6/30/07

It's the land we want - Haapu

A hapu claiming an ancestral right to the old Hawera Hospital sitesays it's not interested in the buildings, only the land, which wasits Nga Tupaea tribal marae in pre-European times.

"We don't want the buildings because they are full of asbestos andwill be difficult and expensive to remove for demolition," hapuspokesman Chris Turahui said.

Commenting on Ngati Ruanui chairman Sid Kahuranui's statement that thehospital land was part of the $41 million treaty claim settlementpackage in 2001, Mr Turahui said: "Tupaea were shut out of thatsettlement and we've received nothing from it, even though all thelocal marae have been given $100,000 each. We did not give NgatiRuanui the right to settle on our behalf. We were out-manoeuvred andnot properly advised. There's been friction between us and Ruanui eversince."

He said the hapu's objective was to interfere with the tenderingprocess to sell the hospital property, by the Taranaki District HealthBoard. Tenders close on August 1. He had been unable to make contactwith the board.

"I hope we are achieving that," he said. "Whoever puts in a tendermust realise that they are really only buying the buildings, becauseit's our land and we want the title to it."

He said Tupaea was a barely functional organisation "because we haveno money. We have been given the Turuturumokai marae by Ngati Ruanuiand we are waiting for the transfer of title. But we have no funds fordevelopment and improvements there."

Pacific Media Centre

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Aotearoa IMC - Newswire

"Australia and NZ remained unrepentant for their brutal suppression of indigenous independence movements in the Pacific. They rationalized such behavior as enhancing the welfare of the Islands and the human development of their people – just as they justified similar behavior towards indigenous peoples in their own countries"